Author: Karen S. Bell
Published By: K.S.B.
Age Recommend: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating 5
Blog Review For: GMTA
Review:

"Walking With Elephants" by Karen S. Bell was a very good read for me.
Believe me when I say the name of this Book and Cover will throw you
because I was truly in for a different ride until I read this novel and was Truly Surprised!

I was able to relate to many of the thoughts of Ms. Bell. Many times
women such as Suze Hall who is a middle aged woman are presented with life More...

Suze Hall, the heroine of Karen Bell’s debut novel, Walking With Elephants, certainly has a lot to contend with. Three kids, one precarious career, and to top it all a husband who has decided to up sticks and enjoy a six month research sabbatical in Australia. It’s not surprising she is reflecting on those glorious college days she shared with her best friend, Marcia – and the not so glorious realities with which she is now burdened.

To anyone who loves romance fiction the ingredients may seem fa More...

This book was a wonderful read, and I really connected with Suze the main character which I wasn't expecting. Since I'm only 22 I didn't think that I would get so attached to Suze since she's a middle aged woman and I'm the age of her children but she was such an awesome, likable character that I read this book in one sitting.


Just like the summary promises this is a light, easy going novel. I loved the plot of the novel because even though it could be a little fantastical sometimes I think the s More...

This is a highly enjoyable, expertly written and thought-provoking work of contemporary fiction that looks at the reality of the post women’s liberation world. Women wanted the freedom to have a career, but the bottom line is that men can’t have the babies, so what women actually got was the burden of juggling two jobs–one to earn money and the other to bring up the children—often without the satisfaction of doing either job well. Karen Bell raises these kinds of issues in a delightfully enterta More...

Walking with Elephants is a novel that really spoke to me. Suze Hall is a middle aged woman that has hit a crisis in her life. Her three children are all in school, with the eldest in college. Her husband, Bob, is a college professor. Suze herself is back in the workplace as an editor after being out of the game for years as a stay-at-home mother. Suze finds herself stressed out to the max. Her nemesis at work, Wanda, has just been promoted to be her boss. Suze is still expected to have dinner o More...

I won this book from a member giveaway on Librarything in exchange for an honest review.

Walking with Elephants is a story of Suze Hall who is a working mother who struggles with balancing her job (which she hates) with being a full time mother and supporter of her husband (who she is currently very angry with). The rest involves a hilarious best friend and a long lost lover who comes back into the picture in a grand way.

There's a lot to like about this little book. I admire the protagonist, Suze More...

If you read this book, you may be like me and think that there is NO way this is a DEBUT novel by this fantastic author. She is extremely talented and really grips different emotions in this book, from hilarious laugh-out-loud thoughts, to anger, to sympathy. But, her understanding of what a reader wants brings it all together to blend together perfectly in one extreme, entertaining read.

While I was not crazy about the title, Walking With Elephants (it wouldn't have really caught my eye had I se More...

They say to never judge a book by it's cover. Had I done that, I would have passed this one up. The title is not really catchy either and it's not til the end that you can really "get" it.

This book is very every hard-working mom, wife, sister, and friend. Suze just can't catch a break out in the corporate work world but Bob won't let her stay home. He's a doctor...that is, has a PhD in Education and teaches at a local college. He gets a great idea to go on sabbatical to Australia for six months More...

I really don't like giving authors only 2 or 3 stars, as I once read a comment from an author at a 2 star rating and she was really hurt by it. However, unless a book keeps me gripped in a "can't put it down fashion" I feel I can only really rate it 2 or 3. In this case, the book wasn't bad at all,but I found the main character waffled on too much in her own imagination, had too many dreams and thought a lot about what she would say instead of actually saying it. I was bored at times and happy w More...

I'm glad I choose to take a look at Walking with Elephants because the story was a light-hearted look at the reality of being a woman in the modern world. I loved how the main character felt so real. This well written tome is a must-read for women in today's world. I loved the main character, Suze, deals with her daily stress. The story is a delightful slice of family reality with a wonderful dash of humor. Everyone with a lousy paying and political office can appreciate her struggles. If you wa More...

My dream review written by me:
Walking with Elephants made me laugh, cry, and more importantly...think. Suze Hall is Ms. Bell’s Willy Loman. She is an everyday woman, a woman in midlife, an ordinary hard-working mother of three. She entered the workforce after her kids became school age. Not a great career-path choice for success. And this stay-at-home mother for several years, continues these established roles in her household. Basically she began her marriage by running the house and now she co More...

"Walking with Elephants" is Karen Bell’s first novel. Karen is not new to writing as she has in the past worked as a theatre critic and celebrity interviewer for a weekly tabloid in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Karen also holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communication which she obtained from Oklahoma State University.

The cover and title of this particular book does not give anything away in relation to the really good story that can be found inside. The title “Walking with Elephants”, had me reall More...

I loved this book and definitely connected with the main character Suze Hall. A woman who juggles family, career, husband is the modern woman. Many of us have been there and will identify with Suze Hall.
I found this book to be thought-provoking, witty, entertaining and a damn good read. A must for any working mother trying to do it all!
The title doesn't do this book justice. Forget about it. Maybe it could rather be called Madonna Moderna!

The book was okay- I hate reading a book and finding grammatical errors. It was almost too juvenile in nature and made me wonder how realistic would someone in his 50s be saying something to the effect of "True that". On the positive side, I am glad that the main character, Suze made the right choice. You can fantasize all you want but nothing can take the place of selfless, devoted love of a spouse and your children.

Every woman I know has had not this exact experience but the same kind of experience and felt that freezing moment of panic when your world not only gets turned upside down but squashed. Funny story , well written with some laugh out loud moments. Has a dash of Erma Bombeck and a pinch of Gloria Steinem. A very nice way to spend an afternoon in the sun.

This book was so well written, and gripped you from the first page. The characters were three dimensional and real. Karen Bell has a real knack for dialogue. Can't wait for her next book to come out! I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a great read.

Read my full review here:

http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com...

Suz struggles with juggling three children, her husband and her career. A must for a working mom trying to do it all.

a entertaining light read for ladies who need a little I am woman book every now and then. enjoyed

I liked the story but was disappointed with the ending.

I received a copy of Walking with Elephants through a Librarything giveaway. It made a great vacation read. The book is written through the perspective of a working mother who it trying to juggle family and work and to try to keep a sense of herself intact. It was very easy to relate to the main character and to feel her stress as she manages. I know that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and so I read it anyways... If I had seen the book on the shelf in a store, I may have passed it by and More...

http://goodgirlgoneredneck.blogspot.c...